Apple (News
- Alert) apps come in a variety of styles, but some of their most popular offerings are games – particularly, games geared towards children. For example, The Smurf’s Village, a free application for the iPhone (News - Alert), iPad and other Apple devices, is a game made by Capcom. But there is a dark secret lurking within. The game has a feature that allows users to purchase items, within the game, for real life cash.Which is not a big deal if you’re an adult and have some modicum of self control. But some parents who have let their kids play such games have been hit by an unpleasant surprise: unexpected charges.
In a recent article published in The Washington Examiner, these “in-app purchases” are investigated in further detail. It seems that parents who have been letting their children play these games and have been hit by a surprise: unexpected charges. A wheelbarrow of Smurfberries costs users a whopping $59.00 – and it isn’t that difficult for young kids to make the transaction, thanks to the current password storage features that exist.
Certain users are outraged – they feel like having to spend money within a game is a “scam.”
However, other popular online games, such as Farmville, offer a similar experience which is becoming commonplace. While you can still play Farmville and have an enjoyable base experience, the fun increases if users invest in buying additional in-game “farmbucks.” This is the future of gameplay in certain instances – and parents had best prepare themselves for it.
Overall, game manufacturers sympathize somewhat with parents and their plight. Capcom has made it so that parent’s can have added insight and control into what they are buying – it even added a disclaimer in The Smurf's Village description on the App Store. The disclaimer reads: “PLEASE NOTE: Smurf Village is free to play, but charges real money for additional in-app content. You may lock out the ability to purchase in-app content by adjusting your device’s settings.”
As per The Examiner, six of the highest-grossing Apps in the App Store are built with similar “in-app purchase” functions. So these sort of apps aren’t going anywhere anytime soon – especially as there is profit to be had.
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